Irish law society takes demands apology from health minister

Irish law society takes demands apology from health minister

The Irish minister is facing criticism for making 'distasteful' comments on the legal profession over cyberattack on Irish healthcare services

Mary Keane, the director general of the Law Society of Ireland has demanded an apology from the country's health minister Stephen Donnelly for making a distasteful commend about the law professionals.

The minister has landed in controversy following a radio chat show in which he had said that law firms were "potentially licking their lips" at the chance to sue the state over a cyberattack on the country's healthcare service.

Donnelly had said that "some legal firms are already advertising, potentially licking their lips, at the thoughts of being able to sue the state".

"I find it very distasteful I have to say. We have been attacked as a nation. Our patients in the HSE (Health Service Executive) have been attacked and we are doing everything we can to respond," the minister had said.

Mary Keane took affront of the minister's statement and said: "The Law Society of Ireland is deeply disappointed by the recent comments regarding the legal profession made by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, which we view as offensive and disrespectful to over 12,000 solicitors who work tirelessly to protect and serve their clients every day."

She asked Donnelly to apologise for the comments and said that the minister's comments were an effort to deflect the narrative away from the challenges he is currently facing.

"This blatant attempt to insult the integrity of an entire profession that exists to provide access to justice for all citizens is unacceptable, extremely damaging and, to use Mr Donnelly's words, 'distasteful'," Mary Keane added.